2010 Le Mans Intercontinental Cup

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Hugewally

Why do manufacturers have to compete as teams to begin with? Rather, make cars available to privateers to race anywhere.

Because manufactures wants publicity.
The best way to get publicity is fielding your own cars, so you know what you do. If you let a privateer field them, it could end up losing to cars it otherwise wouldn't.
Also most privateer who race manufacture cars is de-facto, so it would not change things so much.

[LeMans.pt]

Originally Posted by Hugewally

Why do manufacturers have to compete as teams to begin with? Rather, make cars available to privateers to race anywhere.

That would work fine for me.... i would see any race with or without a works team... the problem is that most of the fans wouldn't, and thats why in 2008 with the Audi vs Peugeot fight in the LMS the race attendance doubled.... and now its low again.

For me, any manufacturer that wanted to race in Le Mans would have to provide at least one car to privateer hands... lets imagine Peugeot as an example!

But CTD said it all....

[courageous]

Originally Posted by LeMans.pt

For me, any manufacturer that wanted to race in Le Mans would have to provide at least one car to privateer hands... lets imagine Peugeot as an example!

Sounds logical & everyone here would support the theory, but that was the rule in the final year of FIA GT1 proper (late '90s)- Mercedes used effectively a semi-works team & Porsche dumped a car on Zakspeed at the last minute with zero support, result was somewhat predictable.

The only way to manage factory entries is to welcome them on their own terms or tell them to foxtrot oscar.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by LeMans.pt

That would work fine for me.... i would see any race with or without a works team... the problem is that most of the fans wouldn't, and thats why in 2008 with the Audi vs Peugeot fight in the LMS the race attendance doubled.... and now its low again.

For me, any manufacturer that wanted to race in Le Mans would have to provide at least one car to privateer hands... lets imagine Peugeot as an example!

But CTD said it all....

Watching privateers is fine when factory teams are absent from the sport, however the credibilty of a series drops significantly if those manufactuer's are around, but choose not to compete.

2008 is the only LMS season so far that will go down as a classic, the rest will be forgotten like the FIA SCC.

[Purist]

Also, customer cars have to be inexpensive enough to buy, and simple enough to run, for any privateer to choose to run them. What privateer, without effectively becoming a works or semi-works team, can buy and/or run an Audi R15 or Peugeot 908? What true privateer team is capable of running an Audi R10 competitively?

The first case of this that I can think of was the Ferrari 312PB. The factory ran the cars themselves, and would not sell them, as they considered the cars too complicated for a privateer to handle working with. Also, in 1972-73, if one of those cars had gone for sale from Ferrari, it would have set you back $20,000; I'm not sure what that comes out to now with inflation.

[CTD]

The only good Manufacture car to sell to privateers is the R8! (but also the Spyder and Arx)

[Mal]

Originally Posted by LeMans.pt

For me, any manufacturer that wanted to race in Le Mans would have to provide at least one car to privateer hands... lets imagine Peugeot as an example!

Thats fine in theory but difficult to control in practice - What would stop Audi running a car under the Joest banner any saying that was the privately run team.

[NaBUru38]

If DTM's Shanghai street circuit is too tight, too slow or lacks runoff areas, I wouldn't run LMPs there.

[Purist]

Who brought up running LMIC on the DTM Shanghai street circuit?

Now, saying that, if it is a decent street circuit, that would make some sense.

[courageous]

ACO Press conference from Sebring shortly after ALMS practice today

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by courageous

ACO Press conference from Sebring shortly after ALMS practice today

http://www.planetlemans.com/2010/03/...lendar-update/

Last Intercontinental Cup race will be in China beginning of November. Track is currently undecided, but probably Zhuhai or Shanghai.

[NaBUru38]

They should change the date to October 17, since there is no F1, WRC, FIA GT1 or WTCC race there. Moreover, the WTCC could replace Mexico with Shanghai, two weeks before Okayama.

[gucom]

As far as google's translation of the original French makes sense, it seems there will be 2 different "leagues" in the Intercontinental Cup:
-Manufacturers (with LMP1 and GT2!), with only the top 2 cars of each manufacturer having their points count towards the Cup title; and
-Teams (with LMP1, LMP2, GT1 and GT2), which can lead to qualification for the Le Mans 24h. the Asian Le Mans series no longer leads to automatic qualification!

http://translate.google.com/translat...ml&sl=fr&tl=en

To be honest, I think a simpler model with only the "Manufacturer" league would be best (I like the addition of GT2 here!), but scrapping qualification for the LM24 will probably not do the development of the Asian Le Mans Series any good...

[gwyllion]

Another option could be to join DTM in Shanghai on October 31.

[Acid09]

I´m deeply disappointed to see that the Suzuka rumor isn't true. That would have been a great track for the LMPs.

Shanghai has a challenging layout but lacks charme and will will ridiculously empty with all those big grandstands.

Zuhai is a nice track but if I remember the photos from the last FIA GT round there (2007?), that place looked very much run-down and in major need of some renovations.

[HORNDAWG]

Petit Le Mans is the 2nd of Oct., the 17th does not allow for a whole lot of travel time nor much if any to do repairs if needed.





L.P.

[gwyllion]

The addition of the GT2 manufacturers cup seems to be a clever response of the ACO to the failure of the FIA GT2 championship.

In 2011 the international cup will be 6 races.

[Speed-King]

Sebring-Spa-Silverstone-PLM-Japan-China?

[Victor_RO]

Slice out China and put in LM itself and I'd be perfectly happy with that.

[gwyllion]

More on the GT2 addition and team cup in English on http://www.planetlemans.com/2010/03/...cup-gt2-added/

[Purist]

I rather suspect LM itself will NEVER again be anything other than a standalone event. The only way I see that possibly changing is if a real World Sportscar Championship comes into being once again.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by gucom

scrapping qualification for the LM24 will probably not do the development of the Asian Le Mans Series any good...

That's because the Japanese race is far from confirmed. I vote for a Suzuka race, and also Sebring but as a season-ender rather than a season-opener.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

also Sebring but as a season-ender rather than a season-opener.

That would be a good idea in my book, also make it count towards a Le Mans invite.







L.P.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

More on the GT2 addition and team cup in English on http://www.planetlemans.com/2010/03/...cup-gt2-added/

This could also prevent GT2 privateers being driven away from the LMS, if the manufactuers focus soley on Le Mans and the LMIC.

[HJJ]

Not real happy about the timing. Budgets are already in place for 2010. I can see this really being big a big deal next year. Seems to be a ACO reaction to the FIA GT1 Series when they should have taken the lead.